.30-06 Dies for loading .308?

No.

.308 & 30-06 are similar cases, except for length.

But due to different length & shoulder angles, are completely different animals.

You need 30-06 dies to reload 30-06.
You need .308 dies to reload .308.

rc

You really should start off reloading with a good general purpose manual such as Lyman's 49th Ed. Each caliber has the basic cartridge dimensions presented schematically before the load tables.

You can also google for cartridge guides and find SAAMI specs online but the book is handy reference.

/Bryan

I was unaware of the shoulder angle differences.

Click to expand...

You must have also been unaware of the body taper, which would be different due to the case lengths, even if they were the same.

rc

Online centerfire cartridge specs ... 3.8 megs so it takes a little while to load ... if it stalls out, close the window or tab and reload.

http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/206.pdf

/B

Havok,
A normal person would just buy a set for .308. You need the sizer to be .308 as covered. The dies set will probably almost as cheap and having a .308 seater would be just plain convenient.

It would be best and easiest to buy a set for .308. On a Dillon you should look at the Dillon Dies set, which is not cheap. On a Dillon 550B the spacer would not work or even if it did it would kill productivity. The shell holder also need to be address as to having the right one (size). At least it is good for a few calibers. Powder drop tube needs to be addressed as to having the right one.

The easy was to load bottle necked rifle on a 550b is to do the sizing & case prep / trimming / lube removal as the first half of the process. (you can now prime off press or on the 550) Then come back and do the second half of the process taking advantage of the progressive capability. You have some options in there as well.

Havok,
Now I see where you were coming from on the spacer thing - straight wall vs taper comes into play. Which brings up: How are you on case lube?

I like Lee dies and have some other brands also. The Lee neck size only works pretty well.

30-06 has a 17 degree shoulder and 308 has a 20 degree so you would not be able to FL resize them, you could however neck size 30-06 in 308 dies but not the other way around due to the length. Better to get the right die for the right cartrage.
I have only neck sized brass before, they are stiff to chamber but they work just fine, and IMHO more accurate then FL resized brass, but some actions do not like them, my Savages for example do not like to chamber brass that has not been FL resized while my Tikka chambers them without hesitation.

RC my confusion stems from the fact that I have always thought the .308 to be nothing more than a shortened .30-06 - I know I read that somewhere at one time. Having never owned one before I never had a reason to look it up. My mistake of course and thank you for pointing it out.
__________________

“- I know I read that somewhere at one time” You did, complete with pictures.

Havok, you did read, complete with pictures, on this forum, I claimed the 308 W was larger at the case body/shoulder juncture than the 30/06 case body when measured from the from the case head. The 30/06 chamber reamer will not clean up the 308W chamber. Many 30/06 chambers have been reamed to 30/06, problem the reamer leaves the case body/shoulder juncture of the old chamber, when 30/06 cases are fired in the new chamber cases are extracted with a ring around the case that is caused by the part of the chamber that was not cleaned up.

The larger diameter of the 308 W allows the case body/shoulder juncture to ‘HEADSPACE?’ in the 30/06 chamber, meaning when a 308 W is chambered in a 30/06 chamber the case is sized down. When a 308 W is chambered in a 30/06 chamber without felt bolt closing, the 30/06 chamber is too large in diameter.

So, you are correct, you read the 308 W is a short 30/06 on this forum.

Back to dies as being more than one. There is a sizer die and there is a seater die. It has been stated it is possible to neck size a 30/06 with a 308 W sizer die, that is correct but the 308W die must be adjusted off the shell holder at least .388” to avoid contact with the case shoulder. Meaning, the 308 W case body is larger in diameter than the 30/06, therefore there is no case body support in the 308 W die (until it expands when the shoulder of the die squats the case) I could have said ‘bumps’ but to me wreck would be a better word.

Seating die for the 30/08: The Competition and Gold Medal seating die by RCBS can be used for the 30/06 and the 308 W with the addition of the an extended shell holder. #37838 is a 30/08 competition seater die that includes the extended shell holder. The question was about dies that could be used for both, forget the full length sizer die but seating dies do not have case body support, the extended shell holder centers in the bottom of the seating die.

One die for more than one purpose, the 308 W trim/form die will form 7.7 Japanese, 8mm57, 308 W etc., etc.. The 308 W is my favorite forming die, if I had one forming die it would be the 308 W, if I had only 2 forming dies the other would be the 243 W trim/form die.

F. Guffey